In recent years research progress in basic immunology has been enormous and there has also been substantial progress in our understanding of the secretory immune system, particularly as it relates to IgA responses. In contrast to the advances in basic immunology and in mucosal immunology, there has been very little advance in our understanding of immunologically mediated diseases of the intestine, such as inflammatory bowel disease. One of the reasons for this is the relative dearth of investigators actively working in the field. The basic objectives of this workshop are two-fold. The first aim is to enhance future research in this area by promoting an exchange among several groups of investigators who work in immunology but who do not generally meet. These groups include investigators who work in basic immunology unrelated to the intestine, those investigators whose main interest is in mucosal immunity in experimental animals, and those investigators who are working on human intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. The second aim of this workshop is to interest, foster, and promote young or new investigators into this area of research. The central theme of the workshop is intestinal immunity and inflammation. The topics has been chosen as areas of inquiry which seem most likely at the present time to answer the question of how the intestine maintains its cellular integrity and the functional capability while at the same time being the major interface between the immune system and the environmental "antigenic universe". The intestinal immune system is required to continually respond to the variety of antigens present in the lumen but at the same time not to respond so much as to cause marked inflammation. How these requirements are met in the intestine is at present unknown but clearly of central importance to our understanding of the intestinal immune system, both in health and disease. The interactions among investigators of the different but related interests and the stimulation of new, young investigators into the area will be of great benefit to this field of research, which is at present grossly underserved relative to its importance.